You guys should have been there. It was not nearly as busy as it sounds , I was home in bed at a good hour almost every night but 2. I am not up for late night scenes without DH by my side. I had time to shower between ventures out and rest a bit. The doormen at my DB's building were so funny, they said where you off to now lady ? I always told them where I was going and carried ID and my cell. Manhattan is VERY safe all hours of the day and night. The NYPD is everywhere and people are so friendly. I also used common sense as to routes etc. As one police officer told me, folks expect Manhattan to be safe and it is a very big responsibility but they meet it very well. The only crime is pick pocket stuff on tourists by Times Sq etc. I have never gone anywhere and been on my own like this in my life...never. My first bike was a Schwinn 50 years ago when I was 7. I was so happy to have another one....life has a way of making circles that are joined with other circles. I met so many folks from Alabama....I was eating a NJ peach at the green market and commented on Chilton County peaches...yep there was a Chilton County boy right there next to me. The guy on the row behind me was a grad of Univ of Al and teaches in Conn. There were girls and their Mom from right by my home town in Ohio standing next to me at the fireworks....the guy leading the bike ride on Sunday bought a house on Chartres and Spain St. in N.O . just up the street from where I lived in 1971....life is a circle....c

cozy: Oh no...I figured you'd have a response to this. ;-) LOL...just messin'. I'm also hoping for a growing season dried up a bit, not like last year (unless you meant that I need to try up a bit, which won't happen...hahaha)! That month long of rain over a good bit of the US severely impacted a lot of people's gardens. I'm going to try and keep the legginess under control, don't worry. Hehehe...I think i've also made my decision on a hot house that i'm gonna buy towards the end of next week to put them in once they start to take over the house in Marchish. =) Hosta: In your zone, i'd definitely not start your plants outdoors or even put them outdoors at all before that show. Might be advisable to harden them off for a week or so before the show by putting them outside only in good temps (minimum 55-60) in a mostly shady, but warm spot. Then, for the last day or two keep them outdoors in a bit sunnier of a spot. You don't want people taking them home from the show and putting them outside immediately to only have them die within a few days because they are not used to outdoor conditions! =) The cold frame will obviously help with this scenario. Keep a close eye on the environmentals in it though (temp, humidity, etc.). Idealy for the fat stems you are seeking, you'd probably want some type of indoor lighting system to grow them in. They can also get leggy in that situation though by reaching for the light, so take that into account when figuring out how long to keep the light on them. Filtering it somehow with a shade cloth of sorts wouldn't be a bad idea. Most gardening supply stores or hardware stores carry greenhouse poly covering that will filter varied amounts of light through it. Anyways, I could go on forever...lol, but that should give you a starting point. =) My seedlings usually start a bit leggy, with my system, before I transplant them to their 2nd home (semi-translucent plastic cups), then they just grow out more than up afterwards and make up for it. I never use any artificial light, but have heard many good things about lighting systems from others on here. They do cost a few $ though. One other point, if you start the seeds 5 to 6 weeks before the show, you will have some small seedlings, which you may already be aware of. I put my blog as the "This link might be useful" thing below so you can get an idea of what size they will be at that age, and it also has a great link to catman's page, Grow Your Tomatoes, which has a lot of useful info too. woodcutter: Yea, I was lucky enough to get them off a seed trade! I'm really looking forward to seeing how they do compared to some normal 'cheapie" Burpee seeds or whatever. Let me know how yours do. - Steve Here is a link that might be useful: Steve's Garden

Glad to have you back Hi2all. So glad you were able to help Stud change his wayward ways, and that you are back with us safe and sound. Your little story was a hoot to read! You are too funny. Sorry you have had to deal with real life issues, know you will be happy to escape into dishland here for awhile and forget all your cares. Hope you have some bunnies and Easter decs to show us. Sandi has started us posting our weekend finds on Monday too--so be sure to add yours too. Welcome back. Luvs

I held my tongue for a while & would have preferred to say this privately LoisFlan, but your Message feature isn't enabled. Your complement was lovely & welcome. But then your 2nd comment was rather a downer on my Happy, Celebratory & Proud thread. I gather you didn't realize what a downer that was & also note that it also shut down further conversation. "I wouldn't dare have my quilts judged. I'd be so embarrassed that I'd probably quit quilting." Pls don't comment like that one SOMEONE ELSE'S thread again. Was dIsheartening, dis-spiriting & a drag & made my thread about you. Your insecurity, your fear of judgment, your lack of confidence, I really didn't appreciate it.